Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf 2018 review - which should you buy? | Head-to-Head 

Anyone wanna see a head-to-head between the Golf and the BMW 1-series? "But what if you wanna transport a nuclear warhead?"

I’ve owned both cars, but the 1.6 tdi version of them both and this review is bang on !! Everything said in this video is exactly what I thought about both of the cars. Personally I prefer the Audi just because the interior felt better for me than the golf and the head lights look so much better, when you unlock the Audi and the lights turn on automatically it looks a lot more of an expensive car and the brand “Audi” turns more heads than the golf

I had the choice between the Golf and the Audi, and I went straight to the Golf. It comes with more as standard, the quality of the interior is only slightly downgraded, but I really think the placement of gadgets and ergonomics feels better in the Golf. I'm not a fan of media screens that obscure the view and poke out above the dash; they're very distracting, plus when I bought my car, the Audi equivalent had an annoying dial to next to the gear stick to navigate the Media system, whereas the Golf had the touch screen. Hell, even the shape of the rear view mirror and air vents bugged me. The Golf just feels more grown up, whereas the Audi is looks more funky, but less practical.

It makes me sad knowing you can get a 1.0L 3cyl in a £20k car

They both look really cheap in red.

I’ve always thought the a3 interior looks abit plain

I had an A3 back in 2013 when the current version came out, Like Matt said, its starting to look a bit dated now (Virtual cockpit aside), and the infotainment screen is a bit sluggish and limited now (not to mention expensive if you want an upgraded sat nav thats still not as good as a £100 tomtom from 2010) . With newer inclusions like Apple Car Play / Android Auto it really needs to have a touch screen these days. Have spent quite a lot of time in both cars, yes, the audi is better as far as materials, switchgear and solidness goes, but the golf probably wins it when it comes to driving position, overall comfort and controls just being in the right place, but I cant help feel like VW deliberately cheapened the feel of some of the dials and switches just to maintain Audi's premium in that respect. You also need to factor in that pretty much every useful feature is an optional extra in the Audi where as a lot of it is standard in the VW, which begs the question of why it cant be in the Audi other than for greed. I like both cars for different reasons, but understand why the VW came out top in this review.

You could get a certified pre owned top of the range golf for the price of a low spec A3. Plus I would get a well equipped golf and just save the money.

3:20 Why does VW insist on making the volume knob indicator icon turn with the dial instead of staying stationary in the upright position? That’s something that always triggers OCD in people. You can use the volume knob on the steering wheel instead, but why don’t they fix it so it’s not pointing every which way in use?

The facelifted Mk7 Golf is such a nice car. I wish we got all the trim levels and engine options Europe/UK gets! Sadly we lose the Golf entirely next year. So I bought one.

Head to head: Volkswagen Golf vs... a more expensive Volkswagen Golf with a better badge.

I'm usually not sold on sportbacks but the current Audi A3 sportback is gorgeous

Prices do vary - but in general, the Golf is slightly cheaper and better equipped - personally don't think the Audi badge is worth a premium and to me, the interior is no better than the Golf. As others have said, the Seat Leon is a great alternative too - generally a bit cheaper than the Golf, although interior is a bit cheaper. Have owned both Golf and Leon - both excellent buys.

I would get the Golf

Out of these two I’d would opt for the golf due to the engine. However I’d opt for a bigger engine and go with audi. Interior is also a massive factor. I have an A3 s line and still love the cabin.

That Audi with tiny engine and so little power is sad. If you decide to buy a Audi, buy a proper one.

I prefer the golf interior alot more actualy. The a3 interior looks too minimalistic.

I lived for 14 years with a Golf MK3 don’t complain about the latest one please , all I have to say is reliable, but this stacks up for both cars since their parts a almost the same

I had a 2 door car -as opposed to a 4 door- few cars ago because it was better looking, I'll give you that. I found it very impractical particularly when parking, most parking spots are not wide enough and fully opening the doors so they would stay open was always a problem. Many times I've dented neighbouring cars or damaged my own doors. Nowadays is only 4 doors cars for me, also easier for the dogs to jump in and out, the boot is for groceries not for animals.

As an Aussie I find it weird when Brits describe the Golf as a 'family hatchback'. Over here families don't really buy hatchbacks as they're considered too small for that job. In the past families bought large sedans (saloon cars I think you call them) while today they generally buy SUVs (less bending while fastening the child seat restraints).

You can change the VW dial size when in nav mode by holding the OK button on the wheel...

vw golf is very hard to be beaten even by an audi.

buying audi without 2.0 or 3.0 engine is like having a gun without ammo...

Mat, please do a Q2 VS T-roc comparison!

I like the MK7 Golf. Especially with that 1.5 engine.

I was desperately waiting for such comparison!!! Thank you carwow

I actually prefer the vw's interior . The Audi looks bland

Even though the A3 has the prestigious feel of an Audi i would go with Golf, i mean come on... It's a family hatchback you don't buy a family hatchback so you can looks cool, in general of course I'd choose Audi over Volkswagen but you buy these type of cars for its practicality & value for money

I still love my a3 sline 2010 👌

Should have got the 5 door 1.5 version of the Audi, just does not make any sense making a comparison performance wise to non matching engines.

Where’s the “shake the centre console” test like you did with Stinger Mat? Hmm?

Brought the Audi A3 Saloon Special Editions 2.0 TFSI Quattro Black Ed with the same load capacity as the sportsback. In my opinion the saloon looks miles better.

Just a small sugestion. For the voice overs please get a better mic or try to calibrate the audio with the one from the video. Thanks!

You are really good at reviewing cars. Keep up the great work. Always see your videos. So thought I should stop by and appreciate Ur awesome work. They are simple, practical, informative and to the point. Looking forward to any more videos from you. Keep up the good work. God bless!!!! Cheers!!!👍

Do a comparison between VW golf, civic hatchback and Mazda 3 please

Again, fake exhausts. We never asked for it.

When will manufacturers realise that a smaller engine doesn't mean more efficiency? The smaller it is the harder it has to work and the more fuel it burns.. ugh.

50 mph in 3rd gear? 4th or 5th would be better to show the pulling power.

The A3 gets a torsion beam on the 1.0 litre not multilink.

No mention of the A3 with the 1.4 TFSI 150 PS cylinder on demand engine.

Seat Leon if you want a hatchback, Octavia if you need more space. Don't be a fool and overpay these. You can get sporty versions of the aforementioned cars for the same money that you pay for regular versions of these two.. if you don't mind the badge they wear..

8:42 3,2,1, Go! ... Nothing happens.

honestly all i see is that the red golf looks like the red angry bird and the black 5 door a3 looks like the black angry bird

Absolutely agree in that the five door A4 looks much better than the three door 👍

The Audi still has same infotainment system. I prefer golf in general

Sadly, the Golf has the cleaner and more mature interior. Specifically, I HATE the round air-vents on the A3. Looks very cheap 🤨

In this case it’s the golf that actually looks better in 3-door

Honestly I love pop out infotainment screens. When I'm not using it I don't want to have it sat there as a distraction or being in my line of sight. Plus it looks really cool.

totally wasnt expecting that result.. i really thought you were leaning toward the audi the entire review haha

the a3 looks so much better in the 3 door version. had both, much prefer the golf same engine, same wheel base, more leg room and boot space in the golf, and higher spec as standard. oh, I had the 2ltr dsg tdi in both

I bought the Golf because I prefer the dashboard. I really wanted the Audi A3 but that dashboard is a big no no.

I have a Fiesta ST 2013 and I was rubbing my eyes until they bled, I couldn't believe the ancient interiors of both of these 2018 cars. It's like playing Quake 1 with a bit higher res textures.

A Golf looks much more premium with the piano lacquer (had to translate this from german, it's gthe black glossy finish of some of the surfaces in Highline and special edition models). I do have this interieur configuration and it leaves an impression. People who get in for the first time are like "wow, didn't expect it to look so premium in here!"

We want an rs4 2018 review!

we got the 1.0 a3 5 door last year. Very refined vehicle, even on 18 inch wheels and semi performance tires. The interior is great, not even a squick or rattle ANYWHERE. Very refined brake system, and very efficient. Quite zippy of the line up to about 80-90 km/h. Actually probably hs more than 115hp - i will test it on a dyno after we hit 10 k kilometers. The audi feels and drives premium. Actually we also want to get a golf SW for pulling baby stuff, but I don't think the level of Audi will be matched. One thing: all the 1.0 Audis get a torsion bar, at least here....

You should do the Astra against the 308

I would say the A3 Sportback looks like an estate car and prefer the A3 in 3 doors looks more sporty but at expense of practicality.

Rather spend even more for a Golf GTI 👌PERFECT Sport & Looks

I have a golf and it does 201 miles a day and it has 180,000 miles and I can tell you it’s f**king bulletproof clean it inside and out and it’s new nothing broken by fault of the car If it does the full school run (Forward back forward back)

Oh wait, where is the “center console shaking test” and “steeling wheel wobbling test”?

In the US, the one to buy is a Toyota product instead. #2 perhaps a Honda. But only if you want reliability.

I still fancy that MB star badge

Before I saw this video in full I picked the Audi TFSI but after seeing it in full I'm going for the Golf. Lastly what about the Audi 1.4 TFSI how would that be?

I'd buy the Golf if going for a hatchback but the Audi if going for a saloon.

Can't order a new 3 door A3 in the UK anymore, as Audi have dropped it. You should have mentioned that.

I for one prefer the pop out screens. In fact, with the digital dials i would probably want to keep that screen hidden most of the time!

Not really a fan of the Golf but it's the obvious choice to go for in this comparison

Got myself a Seat Leon FR which looks miles sharper than both of these. Basically the same car but got a top spec FR with a few options for still less than the equivalent Golf and Audi

Actually I don't agree having the display always popped out, with the virtual cockpit you just hide the unnecessary display and get unobstructed view. Whereas the A4/A5 display is just in the way. Best solved in the TT, having just the virtual cockpit, no reason for redundancy, but missing a headup really.

I own a Golf GTD and love it. 5 doors golf clubs in with trolley all singing and dancing. Can race like a young boy and get 60mpg when I'm cruising to work. Me and a couple of friends thought it would be a good idea to rent an Audi A3 5 door sport-back for when we drive to Prague, yes you head correctly Prague! 15 hours later.... Anyways 2 in the front 2 in the back. I can honestly it was horrible. It just felt small. The drivers position didn't feel good I was constantly trying to change and move about to get comfy. But I will admit its quieter, better round corners and just a little more class about it.

Do people really buy a 1-litre 3 cylinder engine for a C-Segment car? That engine would be suitable for a Polo or an A1, but for an A3, I think it is the worst choice you can do

Do the leon vs the golf

Mat, I love your reviews, they are among the best on youtube!!! But why don't you do some Mazda reviews? I think they are beautiful cars that deserve a lot more attention.

If i want "premium" i'll wait for the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class. I'm an expat in Stuttgart at the moment. The camo test versions are all over the place here. It looks great. And it will have a stunning interior.

Audi interior looks sad and empty in my opinion. I would go for GOLF 100%

You could do a VW Golf/Polo vs New Seat Ibiza

If you’re getting a A3, get the saloon version

I'm an Audi fan but the VW is a better buy, the A3 is basically a Golf with an Audi design. It makes sense if you really want a top of the line model but for sub 30k the Golf is better.

I prefer the golf

So, without surprise the Golf stay the hatchback daddy, i've just bought one!

A3 the best car ever , i want to buy A3

I have had both cars....Audi is more solid, more quite and better interior quality.......but I prefer the VW..... just much easier to drive and has stronger engine .......

Did you try to wobble the console. ....

Couldn’t agree more Mat! Very good video! Cheers

Mat c'mon do the acceleration thing every video, that was a good review the acceleration bit made a difference!!

Clarkson drives a Golf... And that says it all.

the front lamps in audi looks like in corsa

No "shaking console test"...

Why are people so pissed about CO2 scandal in VW? Last thing you care about when you are buying a car LOL

Audi: hello I have a beach house in California. VW:I live in Sheffield and I like to drink tea

Why don't you put it up against Mazda3 everyone seems to be overlooking it

I am bored to death of that laser cut styled Vw group cars. They are everywhere.

Golf all day. I prefer the interior of the golf as well.

They have better options for Volkswagen UK. You can't get a golf with cloth and digital cockpit in USA :(

I love the golf especially the gti clubsport

Wouldn't it have made more sense to test two 1.6 diesel's instead

I got to test drive an Audi A3 and Golf. I don't get this "same noise level", maybe in town. When you go on highway there is incredible difference between them, Audi is much more quiet.

golf looks better in my opinion

Or, you could buy a SEAT Leon Which is much better looking than both IMO

The VW by default will come with adaptive cruise control and city braking (saved me a couple of times) which are two killer features not even mentioned in the review. No brainier. Golf.